Habitat setup help

[Daniellee]

hey guys! So I posted a bit ago last week about my sick sulcata. Since then he has passed, but I’ve been trying to make my habitat suitable to my other baby sulcata.
I’ve come to a dilemma of how to set it up when it comes to heat. I have switched my uvb/uva bulb to a mercury vapor heat bulb.
I have wore over the top of the Rubbermaid container which my Uv bulb used to sit on. It can no longer sit there since the bulb is so huge.
Also, I need a way to keep heat in as it gets really cold where I live. Any suggestions? @Tom

 

[wellington]

Post a pic of your enclosure. I don't quite understand what your saying about the top.

 

[wellington]

Oh and I am very sorry for your loss of one of your shelled friends.

 

[Tom]

hey guys! So I posted a bit ago last week about my sick sulcata. Since then he has passed, but I’ve been trying to make my habitat suitable to my other baby sulcata.
I’ve come to a dilemma of how to set it up when it comes to heat. I have switched my uvb/uva bulb to a mercury vapor heat bulb.
I have wore over the top of the Rubbermaid container which my Uv bulb used to sit on. It can no longer sit there since the bulb is so huge.
Also, I need a way to keep heat in as it gets really cold where I live. Any suggestions? @Tom

Mercury vapor bulbs just are not the way to go for a baby sulcata. I'll explain: They are too high in wattage, they get too hot, and they really desiccate the carapace of a growing baby. Because they run so hot, you can't use them in a closed chamber and a closed chamber is really what you need for a baby sulcata.

I'm puzzled by your statement about how cold it gets there. Do you mean this tortoise is outside? Or are you saying you don't run heat in your house? In any case, there should be a CHE or RHP running on a thermostat full time to maintain ambient temp in your enclosure, and the basking bulb should warm it up even more during the day.